> Raiz, > > Please see the following news from today's Assam Tribune. The trust still needs Rs > 30 Lakhs (Approx $ 65,000) to equip the building with minimum facilities so that it > can be opened in Feb 2004. We had started a fundraising drive around 5 months ago to > collect money for this initiative. Several people, from all sections and all > organisations of our community, has responded and we've collected around $ 2150 so > far from people from assam residing in the U.S. Additionally, Mr. Vavani Sarma has > pledged to donate a computer. AFNA has commited an additional $ 500 from its general > fund. > > Our original target was for $ 5000. Please help us in reaching that target and > contribute generously for this project. This was a dream project of Late Dr. > Bhabendranath Saikia. He had given so much for Assam, let us collectively help to > make his dream project a success. > > Please make your check payable to AFNA, IFAA or UOANA, mark it for "Aarohan", and > mail it to: > 44963 Lemont Road, Canton, MI 48187. > > AFNA is a non-profit organisation registered under section 501c(3) in the I.R.S. > Your contributions thru AFNA maybe tax-deductible in the U.S. For more information > about AFNA please visit www.geocities.com/assamfoundation. You can also "DONATE > ONLINE" from this website via secured paypal services. > > You don't have to be a member of AFNA to contribute towards this fund or to take tax > advantages for your donations to AFNA. If you want to become a member of AFNA and > take active part in our charitable activities please send a check for an additional > $ 25. > > Dear Jib, > > Please forward this email to community members from Assam residing in Canada. Thanks! > > Regards, > Krishanu Kaushik > President, AFNA > > Dr Saikia> '> s dream project Arohan likely to be opened in Feb 2004 > By A Staff Reporter > GUWAHATI, Aug 24 - Arohan, the dream project of Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia in the form > of a four-storey multi-purpose children> '> s complex which is probably the only > thing that the maestro left unfinished in his lifetime, is expected to be formally > inaugurated on February 20 next year, synchronizing with his 73rd birthday. Most of > the construction work of the 16,000-sq ft building situated near Dr Saikia> '> s > residence at Basisthapur No-2 at Beltola have been completed and a sum of Rs 33.3 > lakh spent so far. > > Revealing this at a news conference today, members of the Bhabendra Nath Saikia > Children> '> s Welfare Trust said in order to open the complex as per schedule and > equip it with the minimum facilities, another amount of Rs 30 lakh was needed, and > appealed to the general public and organisations and corporate houses to contribute > to the noble cause. > "> To complete the project in all aspects we need Rs 90 lakh > more, but Rs 30 lakh is the immediate need to open it on February 20,> "> Gautom > Sharma, Trust member along with Dr Hemen Barman, Krishna Roy and Preeti Saikia, wife > of Dr Saikia, said. > > The Trust has so far collected Rs 34 lakh - Rs 10 lakh from Dr Saikia> '> s family, > Rs 10 lakh from MPs> '> LAD Fund and the rest from various organisations, corporate > houses and individual donors. > "> We received donations ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 1 > lakh from individual donors and if the people extend the same kind of support, there > is no way why the project cannot be completed on time,> "> Sharma said and > requested interested persons/organisations to contribute their donations to SBI > (Dispur branch) account no. 01000050781 in favour of Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia > Children> '> s Welfare Trust. > > Asserting that the Trust was committed to carry forward the legacy of Dr Saikia who > had done so much for the State and its people, Preeti Saikia said Arohan was just > the first step towards achieving that end. > "> He firmly believed that the future > of the society were the children and unless their all-round development is ensured, > progress will continue to remain a distant dream,> "> she said. Sangeeta Saikia, Dr > Saikia> '> s daughter, explained various features of the children> '> s project > through slides. The family of Dr Saikia has also decided to donate all the royalty > and remuneration due from different sources like TV serials made on the basis of his > short stories, besides those made by himself, as also from his films and various > writings etc., to the Trust, she said. > > Meanwhile, the Trust has formed a committee with State Chief Secretary Jyotiprasad > Rajkhowa as president and Kamrup (Metropolitan) Deputy Commissioner AK Absar > Hazarika as convener to monitor and supervise construction of the project till its > completion. The scheme of the children> '> s complex, a brainchild of Dr Saikia, was > finalized in 2000 and the Trust was officially set up on February 12, 2001. The > foundation of the project was laid on a plot of land belonging to Dr Saikia himself > to which the Government added another 50 sq metre land. Architect Arijit Choudhury > has prepared the design of the building. > > The complex which will cater to the needs of the children in their pursuit of > excellence in diverse fields, will be equipped with state-of -the -art facilities > including Internet. While the ground floor will provide open space with provision > for a playground as well as recreational and creative activities for children from > three to 10 years of age, the first floor will have a reception area, the Trust > offices, a health information centre, facilities for music and dance classes for > children and a residential unit to be used for the benefit of the Trust. The second > floor will contain a library of child literature, a computer station with Internet > facilities, a hobby centre, facilities for training children in arts and crafts, a > personal museum of Dr Saikia and a residential unit for the Trust. A multipurpose > auditorium with 250 seats, a reception area and conference halls with modern > audio-visual and teleconferencing facilities will be there in the third floor. > > > >
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